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flower_child
Dawson


Registered: 12/13/05
Posts: 677
Last seen: 5 years, 1 month
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Mushroom Farmer's Market
#6099390 - 09/25/06 05:38 PM (17 years, 4 months ago) |
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I live in an area where the Farmer's Market is a huge thing. People come from all over (particularly "Hippies") to buy organic fruit and vegetables. It's really pretty awesome.
Anyway, I've always thought I'd like to sell some organic vegetables myself. I love gardening and farming and I think it would be awesome to share what I've grown with the world. However, everyone and their brother seems to be doing that already. That's an over-exageration, but what I'm saying is that a LOT of people are doing that now. So I figured that since I love mushrooms, and I particularly love growing mushrooms, I'd start growing some gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. I've never done this before. My experience lies in Cubensis mushrooms. But I want to learn, and figure that if it's anywhere near as easy as learning to grow cubensis, it shouldn't be too much of a problem to get the hang of gourmet mushrooms. So I guess my question is what mushrooms would be good for this? Like...what are more popular mushrooms? I'd like to grow something that people would be at least a little familiar with, but even more so, something that they'd enjoy even if they've never heard of it before; something that would taste good to most people.
Any suggestions?
-------------------- Today while walking up the stairs I met a man who wasn't there He wasn't there again today Oh how I wish he'd stay away
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Hotnuts
old hand


Registered: 02/26/05
Posts: 3,436
Loc: Wild Blue Yawnder
Last seen: 1 month, 13 days
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Re: Mushroom Farmer's Market [Re: flower_child]
#6099474 - 09/25/06 05:55 PM (17 years, 4 months ago) |
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Try cultivating Oyster strains. Very simple and a good seller anywhere. Good luck none the less!
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Psilocybeingzz


Registered: 12/15/02
Posts: 14,463
Loc: International waters
Last seen: 11 years, 3 months
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Re: Mushroom Farmer's Market [Re: flower_child]
#6101752 - 09/26/06 05:14 AM (17 years, 4 months ago) |
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I want to do the same thing !
And if I didnt have problems with a landlord awhile back, I swear I would have..............our market runs until the end of october, I would love to squeez something in there, but I dont think I have time. And I doubt I could get a table.
But I am still going to grow, and I am going to give them to friends, and family, and the foodbank. At the same time, I will sell what I can, I dont plan to make alot right away. 
I am obessed with this idea, and I have read quite alot on the subject.
READ, Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, by Paul Stamets, and also, his classic, the mushroom cultivator, if you havent alreay.
There is a torrent of the latter floating around on torrentscan.com etc. 
study both of these books cover to cover(I plan to practice this advice some day myself to !! ) But seriously, read them both front to back. I refresh myself now and then, but there is alot of mushie info to take in.
Oysters are a very good choice, I agree,but consider other mushrooms as well.
Consider how much you can get for your mushrooms.........
One thing I realized, after some sneaky research the the grocery store  was that they often dont take proper care of their mushrooms, to cold, or to warm often, and the price!!!! 
I could undercut them by HALF and still make money, so I will, meanwhile, I hope to sell to a few mom and pops's. We shall see. Personally I want to grow Oysers, shitake, Lions mane, chicken of the woods, hen of the woods, and reshi........just for starters. Lions Mane are said to be amazing, I have hear dof people that like then better then morels, and they are called the lobster mushroom sometimes, but most people call them lions mane.
Chicken of the woods seems like a heavy producer, but I think it would be easier to sell once you have a base of buyers built up, however I dont know what the asain food scene is like in your town, and YOU should find out. 
Good Luck.
Keep us updated.
Edited by Psilocybeingzz (09/26/06 07:14 AM)
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micololo2
Stranger

Registered: 11/05/05
Posts: 388
Loc: Québec, Canada
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It's being now 2 years that I sale on those markets. The advantages are that you have the higher prices for your shrooms and a lot of sales in a short time.
1. Shiitake is the best ( easy to cultivate outdoor, best prices and huge flushes). 2. Lion's Mane (people are attracted of is weird looking, good prices and easy to cultivate. Be careful of the humidity contained in the mush or people wont buy anymore.). 3. Yellow Oyster (An eye stopper, but hard to control flies problems) 4. Eryngii (good prices but smaller flushes) 5. Maitake (good prices but hard to cultivate and lower flushes) 6. All the other oysters (easy and fast to cultivate but attract flies and you get lowest prices)
Edited by micololo2 (09/26/06 12:54 PM)
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phalcon005

Registered: 12/21/05
Posts: 217
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Re: Mushroom Farmer's Market [Re: micololo2]
#6102286 - 09/26/06 08:59 AM (17 years, 4 months ago) |
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One other avenue to consider (and the one I'm more stuck on) is going the medicinal route, either in combination with edibles or solo. There actually is a large edible mushroom grower in my area, but if I grew shiitake and reishi, dried them, and marketed them as medicinal supplements for teas and broths and such I believe there would be a market. The best price I've found reishi for (dried) on the web is $55/lb. It may take more time to grow, but the market price is nice as well.
By the way, I've heard numerous times on here cubes are some of the easiest mushies to grow, and oysters and probably similar. The others are more particular, hence the reading recommendations. It can be done for sure, but I've read of oysters growing on old books, old clothes, you name it which is pretty unique.
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flower_child
Dawson


Registered: 12/13/05
Posts: 677
Last seen: 5 years, 1 month
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Re: Mushroom Farmer's Market [Re: phalcon005]
#6103545 - 09/26/06 02:21 PM (17 years, 4 months ago) |
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Thanks a lot for all the info and advice. I'll check out that torrent link right now.
You guys have already set me off on the right track. Thanks a lot.
-------------------- Today while walking up the stairs I met a man who wasn't there He wasn't there again today Oh how I wish he'd stay away
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shroomaker
Stranger
Registered: 04/13/05
Posts: 191
Last seen: 7 months, 14 days
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Re: Mushroom Farmer's Market [Re: flower_child]
#6104095 - 09/26/06 04:30 PM (17 years, 4 months ago) |
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Based on my recent experience with elm oyster, I would think that would be another good choice. Good fruiter and size, don't seem to attract flies, and better tasting than regular oyster.
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micololo2
Stranger

Registered: 11/05/05
Posts: 388
Loc: Québec, Canada
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Re: Mushroom Farmer's Market [Re: phalcon005]
#6104478 - 09/26/06 06:25 PM (17 years, 4 months ago) |
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I've tried to sale dry medicinal shrooms (dried shiitake, maitake, turkey tail) on farmer's market and the result is realy poor. And now to sale those, you need a licence with the problems coming with. I don't think that growing shrooms on books or fancy things are a good way to go on commercial markets.
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